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We have water in the cellar and cannot find the leak… it does not appear to be an internal one so one would think it must be external… All the fascia boards under the kitchen cupboards have been ripped off in the search for the source of the problem. Unfortunately this hurried investigation has caused a certain amount of damage to the paintwork, but it turned out to be simply dry and rather dusty under there, which contrasts somewhat to the seeping water down below.
One of my regular meat customers has failed to return our calls about their delivery and has now missed the slot for courier delivery of her meat, and it probably leaves me with a whole lamb to sell to someone else. This is very unusual and I just hope they are all alright.
Three lambs and two pigs went away this morning, our final selection for this year. One pig is mine and will be slow roasted in celebration of a landmark birthday. The others will be sold at a one off Christmas market next week. Normal service for us will resume in January when the butcher has recovered from his Christmas orders to the catering trade.
Today food and farming is in the news.
Compulsory cooking in schools, and free recipe books for 11 year olds, BRILLIANT. Cooking, or domestic science as it used to be called should never have been abolished.
There is also in depth harvest coverage on the TV news, or rather the lack of harvest of on account of the weather and the fact that farmers now have until 4th October to go on their waterlogged fields with extra permission from the EU. However, the media, EU and DEFRA probably do not realise that actually farmers do still decide for themselves if they are able [will] go onto the fields or not, whether to try to save a crop or write it off…
Boris is speaking out for farmers, and writes once again with knowledge and passion. There is so much extensively livestock production in this country on land that cannot be ploughed. It is what makes our countryside famous; think of the moorland and the hills from one end of the country to the other [Dartmoor, Peak District, Lake District, Pennines, Highlands, Southdowns etc], there are so many beautiful areas which have been shaped and cared for by farmers grazing livestock. Boris is right: it is not the animals that are the problem, it is the people.
My suggestion is: keep eating meat, but ASK where and how it is produced. And if you are able please choose local and extensively reared meat whenever you can. These types of systems are utilising the land in the best way possible and should be supported.
Our own very important food security at Prosperous Farm is being severely hampered by the poor conditions and inability to lift the onions. Last night’s supper was absolutely delicious – home-made Cornish pasties with everything in the traditional beef and vegetable pasties grown here except for the pastry flour. Jethro says he likes a challenge and that [the flour] will be addressed soon, however on account of the wet conditions I am not sure that this is the year to try out milling. We will have to see what the wheat quality is like.
I will probably now be prosecuted for using the name Cornish pasty since we do not live in Cornwall, but I feel safe in the knowledge that as they were for our own consumption we can call them what we like and all the evidence has been eaten. However a “Prosperous Pasty” doesn’t to my mind conjure up the same image of melt in the mouth pastry, succulent beef [that had been hung for 28 days] and tender juicy vegetables [straight from the garden], all seasoned with sea salt and ground black pepper [methinks Jethro could not supply the seasoning either, but he always was, and still is a resourceful lad] and served straight from the oven .
We do have progress to report in the bathroom lighting department however only as far as we now use a gas lamp! As you may now realise daily life at Prosperous Farm sometimes runs on a slightly different time zone compared to what the rest of the world is used to.
For heavens sake, we are an Island!
Why, why, why do we import animals AND THEREFORE NASTY DISEASES in to this country, especially from an area with a known disease problem and we are still learning about this terrible disease and its effects?
We have good livestock in this country already [some of the best in the world], and other countries have import bans on live animals to protect their own industries. I am entirely with the Icelanders on this issue. Their Parliament decreed in 980AD that no imports of horses, and other livestock would be allowed, and this ruling still stands today. Icelandic animals may have developed a certain uniqueness over the last 1028 years, nevertheless they also have an enviable disease free status too.
Other countries also have restrictive import polices or outright bans from certain areas of the world and many are far better than us at policing the import of food, especially meat, through the airports. Why can’t the UK be better at all this, and try looking after ourselves for a change.
Today there are 2 reported case of BLUETONGUE disease in the south of England, both could have been prevented by not importing. Whatever were the farmers thinking?
More on this and the regular update later…
PS For more indepth info regarding the outbreak and further in depth facts please go to Mary’s site
Farms, like farmers come in all shapes and sizes and how they run their businesses varies too. At one end of the scale there are farmers who farm their land and trade their produce in almost the same way as their fathers and grandfathers did and at the other end of the scale there are those who look for niche markets and try to capitalize on every opportunity that they can.
Commodities, like grain and seed, are traded on the open market with various options available to the sellers. Forward selling ties a farmer in to a set price and contracted delivery date either with or without severe penalties (deductions) if the specified quality is not met. Most arable farmers are price takers and their skill in judging when best to sell or arrange a contract takes both courage and experience. Almost everyone has had a deal or two in their lifetimes they’d rather forget and also perhaps a record high from last year that still puts a smile on their face every time they think about it.
Commercial beef, lamb and pork is also traded, as a commodity, on the open market sold either by deadweight prices, after the animal is slaughtered, or by live weight auction in the markets. Both systems have their merits and what suits one farmer may not suit another.
The price setters are the farmers who dare to be different. Either they produce a premium product, or they add value, or both. A premium product might be: rare breed meat, yoghourt, milk, ice cream, or cold pressed rape oil from oil seed rape to name only a few.
Most dairy farmers are price takers, and this story will have to wait for another blog entry as it is large topic.
Here at Prosperous Farm, Jethro has a foot in both camps. He is a price taker for his arable crops of wheat, barley, beans, oil seed rape and oats, and a price setter for his traditional breed meat which he sells direct to the consumer.
Selling direct to the consumer and gaining feedback is time consuming but extremely rewarding for the producers, especially once you start to build a band of loyal customers. The celebrity chefs are helping this trend to buy from farms, as are Channel 4 with their current food map listing producers, shops and restaurants with wonderful food from all over the country.
Shopping locally, supporting small businesses and understanding exactly how food is produced is brilliant for the future of agriculture. It currently feels like there is an important shift by consumers towards wanting to know more about what we eat, especially meat. Although, I heartily accept, not everyone is able to do this it is at least a start and it should lead to improvements on the supermarket shelf and also teach the next generation that food is grown or reared and is not something that comes in a box or a packet.
How strange I had just finished writing this post when a reader sent me this link.
Now a bit of genuine support and respect would really help the industry to feel appreciated.
